S8 Ep1018: Thaddeus McCotter reflects on the 2009 Green Movement, criticizing the Obama administration for parlaying with "butchers" rather than supporting protesters. He warns that the current Trump administration faces the same ideological enemy. McCotter expresse
Thaddeus McCotter, former Michigan congressman and columnist for American Greatness, delivers a searing critique of U.S. foreign policy toward Iran, drawing a direct line from the 2009 Green Movement to today’s diplomatic overtures under the Trump administration. He condemns the Obama administration for 'parlaying with the butchers' who murdered protesters like Neda Sultan, arguing that the failure to support the uprising allowed Iran’s theocratic regime to survive and strengthen. McCotter warns that the current administration risks repeating the same mistake by negotiating with a regime whose ideology is fundamentally rooted in religious extremism and deception. He emphasizes that the regime’s survival depends on its ability to lie to the 'Great Satan'—the United States—and that no deal will succeed unless the mullahs themselves are willing to change. With Iran having killed 40,000 of its own citizens in a single year, McCotter calls for a bipartisan, long-term strategy to weaken the regime—not through military action, but through empowering internal dissent, much like the collapse of the Soviet Union. He remains deeply skeptical of any new agreement, especially one backed by a $300 billion fund, questioning whether such financial incentives would truly buy loyalty or merely buy silence.
The Obama administration failed to support the 2009 Iranian Green Movement, choosing diplomacy over moral clarity and enabling Iran’s regime to survive.
Iran’s regime is not merely a government but a theocratic entity where mullahs hold ultimate power, making negotiations with officials meaningless without their approval.
The U.S. must adopt a long-term strategy to weaken Iran’s regime through non-military means, similar to how the Soviet Union collapsed from within.
Any new deal with Iran must include verifiable commitments to cease terrorism and nuclear proliferation—otherwise, it’s just a temporary truce.
The proposed $300 billion fund to integrate Iran into the global economy is deeply suspicious and may be a Trojan horse for ideological subversion.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introduction: Thaddeus McCotter and the 2009 Green Movement
“I bemoan the fact that we have not had a continuous bipartisan policy towards Iran to help weaken the regime through all means, short of military action.”
The Murder of Neda Sultan and the Failure to Act
“What we saw from the Obama administration was to continue to parlay with the butchers who killed the protesters in the streets.”
The Ideological Threat of Iran’s Regime
“The mullahs are not necessarily part of the government, but they run the government—much like the Communist Party operated.”
The Failure of the JCPOA and the Illusion of Diplomacy
McCotter dissects the JCPOA, arguing it was based on false hope—Iran never complied with inspections, broke agreements, and continued its nuclear and terrorist activities.
The Trump Administration’s Military Pressure and Its Limits
McCotter acknowledges the Trump administration’s military actions weakened Iran’s asymmetric warfare capabilities but stresses that the regime remains intact and dangerous.
“What we saw from the Obama administration was to continue to parlay with the butchers who killed the protesters in the streets.”
“Now, if the United States has a sovereign wealth fund, which would be the most horrible socialistic idea you could possibly think of, would that be one of the funds that would be used to send private money over there to try to buy the Iranians support?”
“And the very fact that it's still there constitutes a problem because all the way to the United States did not get rid of it.”
Host
Guest
thaddeus mccotter
person
obama administration
organization
trump administration
organization
john batchelor
person
mullahs
organization
jcpoa
organization
neda sultan
person
sovereign wealth fund
organization
tehran niyusadi
person
wall street journal
organization
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